The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a heavy loss in Game 2 after rebounding beautifully in Game 1, but Rob Thompson doesn’t seem to be breaking a sweat.
The Philadelphia Phillies made an impressive comeback from 5-0 down against the Houston Astros in Game One of the World Series, leveling the game in the fifth inning and sending the game into the tenth for a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia.
But the second game was not. Velez once again faced a 5-0 downside, but they weren’t able to climb up fast enough to continue their winning streak. They lost the game 5-2, but coach Rob Thompson doesn’t seem too concerned.
The Astros certainly aren’t the most trusted team in the league after the 2017 World Series cheating scandal, and they had multiple incidents during the first two games of this World Series that led to accusations of cheating. Thompson specifically spoke of Framber Valdez’s accusations of using a banned substance.
Thompson stated, “The umpires check these guys after almost every half. If something is going on, MLB will take care of it.” While it would be easy to point the finger and accuse the opposing team, especially Houston, of cheating, it seems more likely that Valdes was wiping sweat off his forehead. Thompson mentioned that he saw Valdes do the same during the first game.
He also shared his high hopes for the Phillies’ return home to a large fan base. He said, “We have a really short memory. I expect them to come out there and be ready to go in front of a frenzied fan base. They’re going to wipe it out and move on. I expect them to get out there and compete like they always do.”
Thompson pointed to the trend of facing a 5-0 deficit in the first two games, but defended Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler on the hill. He said, “I think everyone deserves a bad start every once in a while, these guys have been so good to us. I expect them to come back and be ready to go.” He also confirmed that Noah Syndergaard will start game 3 and Ranger Suarez will start game 4.
If Velez played the way they played at home during the previous rounds, there would be no worries about winning.
The Phillies have played incredibly at home this season
Philadelphia undoubtedly has one of the highest buzzing and most active fan bases in the post-season, understandably so. The team hasn’t played in the playoffs since 2011, and they haven’t won a world championship since 2008. They are hungry for the title, and when their fan base welcomes them, it gives them extra motivation to succeed.
In this postseason, the Velez team did not lose a match at home. They swept the St. Louis Cardinals in a Wild Card on the road, then faced the Atlanta Braves for the NLDS. They were not favored to win the series, and tied 1-1 with close matches on the road. When they came home, they destroyed the Braves with a score of 9-1 in Game 3 and 8-3 in Game 4, knocking out the 2021 World Championship champions.
They faced the San Diego Padres in the NLCS, and once again, they came home with a 1-1 draw and close matches. On their return home, they racked up three straight wins with final scores 4-2, 10-6, 4-3.
The energy at Citizens Bank Park is unparalleled, and if any audience can motivate them to defeat a tough team to win the title, it’s their audience.
Fans have great faith in Philadelphia, and Thompson revealed that he does too.
